Tell me one thing: is it the government’s job to advise you when to wake up every morning? How about when to shower? When to eat? No! The answer to all of these questions is absolutely no! Now the question is, why should it be the government’s job to regulate what to eat or how we as Americans should stay healthy? It is our own job, not theirs. What makes it right for them to tell us what to eat? I guess we will never know.

In the recent years the United States government has issued many rules and regulations on what we can and cannot consume and even what we can and cannot do in general. For example there are other government operated groups such as the EEOC, the FDIC and so many more. This is not a right idea in any way, shape, or form. According to John Stossel’s special “Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity,” in some Eastern states, there have been regulations placed on food places. Specifically fast food restaurants are being required to post a calorie count on their menu. Even here in Wisconsin, there are calorie counts in places such as Culvers and Starbucks. In my opinion, and many other American’s opinion, this does not help anything. People who are hungry and want a double cheeseburger are still going to get that burger because they are hungry for it. The fact that the calorie count is posted right next to it does nothing for the consumer except in some cases possibly, order more because there weren’t enough calories in their opinion. Therefore in their minds, they wouldn’t be full enough with “just one.” In my opinion, the government should just for once stay out of this ordeal and let Americans eat how they choose to.

Think about this: the government already controls so much of our lives on a day to day basis. From what age we have to be when we can vote, the right age we can drink at, smoke, drive and the list continues endlessly. Wouldn’t it just be nice to not have them control us? What we want to eat is up to us. It does not matter how greasy, or how many calories it is! Honestly, who cares? A normal food menu or one that is not government regulated does not give people many choices. I say this because it’s true. For example, as said in the Stossel video, some state governments even were “banning salt” and adding a “fat tax.” What has this nation come to, to take away the first amendment freedoms such as eating whatever we would like to eat? This is complete and utter madness. A perfect example from the video would also be how New York governor Mark Bloomberg even banned the soda cups that are over 16 ounces. This didn’t prevent a thing. In fact, it caused people to buy multiple soda cups which would end up being more than the amount of the original large soda cup. What is this helping? The government should not be able to ban certain types of cups, what was the point of them being created anyways if they are just going to take them away?

All in all, this idea of banning foods and drinks is completely wrong. The government should not have the right to control what we eat and when. It is just slowly taking away more of our rights, which is not what America is about. We should be “living the dream” here. This is the “land of the free” and the “home of the brave.” The government has taken this dream away and continues to every day.